Booking FAQ Which cruise line should I choose? Do some research, it will be worth it. This is one of the most important decisions you will have to make when selecting your cruise vacation. Check out the Cruise Line’s web pages and brochures for information. Look at the pictures and see what types of activities they have planned. Have they planned a cruise to make someone like you happy? Make some decisions early. Are you looking for a quiet relaxed cruise, a romantic getaway or a party atmosphere? Once you have an idea of what you want out of your vacation, you can judge the different cruises on how well they meet your expectations. Ask your friends, but remember that you are looking for the best cruise for you. Make sure you ask them what they were looking to get out of their vacation. Your friends may have loved the cruise because it was exactly what they wanted. Make sure you have similar expectations before you book the same cruise. Ask lots of questions of your booking agent. Back to Top Why can't I just deal with the cruise line directly? You can actually make reservations with some cruise lines, but usually this is not to your advantage. As a Top Producer with most cruise lines, we often get special rates that are not available to other travel agents, much less the public. Furthermore, you deal with one agent with whom you've developed a relationship. Most cruise lines have hundreds of reservations agents. To them, you'd be just another passenger. To us, you're a valued client. Back to Top Is it better to book my cruise early or wait for a last minute discount? It depends on your level of flexibility, but overall, it is better to book early. The cruise lines will often lower your rate if a better promotion comes along after you book your trip. Some guidelines are listed below for when you should consider booking, but again what they really come down to is flexibility. Book early(at least 6 - 8 months in advance)if: It's an inaugural cruise; You want specific cabin, i.e. 7 suites or mini-suites 7 location(port, starboard, middle of the ship, bedding, etc.)7 handicapped; It is a unique itinerary(holiday, infrequent) You're not flexible with dates(honeymoon, vacation, etc.)You need a cabin for 3 or 4 people; You need multiple cabins (family, group, etc.) You are particular about seating at dinner(especially if you want late seating) You plan to use frequent flyer tickets to get to the port(especially foreign cruises) Book late if: You have lots of flexibility (itinerary, dates), especially if only two people are cruising. You don't care about the location of your cabin and you will take an inside cabin. You can drive to the port(and none of the other guidelines apply). You feel it isn't any fun unless you have lots of pressure :-)Some cruise lines will now guarantee dinner seating and take a lower deposit when you book early (this may only be for repeat passengers). Most people book 8 months to as much as 18 months in advance. You can always cancel, but of course you have to lay out the money for the deposit. Refunds on deposits are slow, however, and may take up to two months. Back to Top Why are your rates better than what my local travel agent is quoting me? Best Cruise Vacation have better buying power than over 90% of the travel agencies across the country. Our margins are often better because we buy in bulk. Often we have group rates that your local agent doesn't have. We are informed immediately of special regional, last minute, and senior promotions. Our agents are trained to ask for the best deal and most corporate intensive agencies are not. By specializing in cruises, we're also very good at finding them at the best prices, often passing on our margins to you in the form of greater discounts. Back to Top I've never done business with you. How I can I be sure you're legitimate? Very good question and one you should ask any agency you're working with. We encourage you to contact the Better Business Bureau where you will find that we've had no complaints against us. We're a member of the Cruise Lines International Association, and are part of National Leisure Group. You may contact the cruise line that you are considering and ask them about us. We can give you references of other clients in your area. We will be glad to give you any information that will make you feel comfortable with us. Back to Top Is cruising affordable and a good vacation value? Yes! There are cruise vacations to suit every budget, from the cost-conscious to the most luxurious. Even more important, a cruise offers the best travel value for your money. Your fare includes all meals, your cabin, onboard daytime activities, nighttime parties and entertainment. So for once, you'll know what your vacation will end up costing you before you go. (Your only extra expenses will be drinks, optional shore excursions, and personal services such as massage or hairstyling.) Back to Top How can your prices be so cheap? We are able to price our cruises so low for several reasons: Our cruise sales volume has allowed us to obtain Preferred Supplier status with all of the major cruise lines in the US market. Our Preferred Supplier relationships with the cruise lines allow us to obtain cruise cabin space at costs significantly below most other travel agencies. Our company business processes were designed to minimize overhead, while still focusing on great customer satisfaction. Our use of computer and telecommunications technology provides us a significant cost and time competitive advantage over most travel agencies. Back to Top What about these rates in my Sunday newspaper? Why aren't they ever available? The rates you see in your Sunday newspaper in January are often for sailings during the most affordable week in the fall and on the shortest cruise. Since this pricing is based on the lowest category on the ship (which also happens to have the fewest cabins), they may be sold out by the time you call. It's very difficult at times to explain to a client that a seven night cruise with airfare and port charges in an outside cabin from Kansas City is $1,099 per person when they saw and ad in their paper stating their cruise rates were from $199 per person. $199 would be for a three night cruise in a bunk bed cabin without airfare and port charges. Back to Top What determines the price of a cruise? Mandatory Costs = Cabin Cost + Port Charges, with air fare and transfers separately stated. Included in these costs are all of your food, entertainment, use of facilities, etc. If you would like to partake of alcoholic beverages expect to pay extra for them. Juices, milk, coffee, and tea are available at no charge. Although not "mandatory", you should plan on tipping your waiter, bus boy and cabin steward. As a guideline, most cruise lines suggest the following: Dining Room Server $3.50 per guest per day. Dining Room Busboy $2.50 per guest per day. Cabin Steward $3.50 per guest per day. Generally, a 15% gratuity is automatically added to the bar, beverage, wine and deck service tabs. Back to Top What's NOT included in my cruise fare? Alcoholic beverages and casino wagering. Body massages, manicures, beauty parlor or other personal services. Baby-sitting services. Tips (the suggested level is $3.50 per person per day for your waiter and cabin steward and $2.00 per person per day for your busboy) Personal purchases, souvenirs, and optional shore excursions while in port. Transportation from home to the pier (and back) or parking at the cruise terminal. Back to Top What's included in my cruise fare? Full size cabins with 24-hour room service (catering to your every need). Fine dining, including all meals, "snacks" and the spectacular buffets. Fully supervised children's programs and a special menu for kids at every meal. Exciting on-board entertainment and activities, including lavish stage shows, night club acts, live bands, orchestras, dancing, cocktail parties, cultural events, movies, sports, games, and plenty of fun, fun, fun! Free use of on-board facilities, include swimming pools, hot tubs, health spa, library, lounges, plus a complete casino on every ship featuring slots, black jack, craps, roulette and much more. Back to Top What if I have to cancel? Penalties are assessed by the cruise lines if your cruise is cancelled too close to sailing. The cancellation policy does vary by cruise line, so it is important that you understand exactly what this is. Like other Terms and Conditions related to your cruise, the cancellation policy is listed in the back of the cruise line brochure. Make sure you have a current version of the brochure, as the policy may change. To protect yourself from penalties for canceling due to medical reasons to yourself or family members, we highly advise that you purchase Travel Insurance. You can read more about Travel Insurance on our Travel Inshurance page. Back to Top What does a category guarantee mean? If you booked your cruise as a "Guarantee," you are not assigned a cabin number at the time of booking. You are simply guaranteed that category or better. Since most people who cruise simply want to get the best price, "Guarantees" are a great way to fill the ship with people looking for a good rate. Cabin assignments on Category Guarantees are often made the week of sailing or even the day of sailing. When you receive your cruise documents, your cabin number will be listed as "TBA" (To be Assigned) or "GTY" (guarantee). When you check in at the cruise terminal they will give you your cabin number. It can be anywhere on the ship, but not in a category lower than you paid for. You may even get a free upgrade. This practice is very similar to booking a hotel room. Hotels promise standard or ocean view rooms, but they do not give you the actual room number until you check-in. Don't worry about the baggage tags the cruise line gives you. The ship's staff and porters receive a passenger manifest on your departure date and will know your cabin number to deliver your bags to the cabin in a timely manner. Back to Top Is an oceanview cabin worth the extra money? Our clients tell us the the biggest advantage of having an oceanview cabin is that it makes your cabin seem so much bigger. It's amazing what natural light will do for a room. It also gives you some perception of time. When you wake up at 7:00 am in an inside cabin, you can't tell if it's 2 in the morning or 3 in the afternoon. For them an oceanview cabin is worth it for this reason alone. Want to know what the weather's like? Open your curtain. With an inside cabin, you throw on some clothes, run outside and run back again. On the other hand, our other valued clients say the opposite. "Who needs a window. I'm only going to be in there when I sleep anyway. I could use that extra money on shore excursions, my bar tab, or my next cruise." Who's right? They both are. It's really up to you. Oceanview cabins generally cost about $100 more per person for a 7 or 10 night Caribbean cruise and about $200 more per person for a European or Exotic itinerary. Our agents will be glad to discuss the features and benefits of both types of cabins without pressuring you into something you don't want. The only itinerary where we highly suggest an oceanview cabin is Alaska, and Norwegian fjords cruises. With daylight hours approaching 20 - 22 hours in the peak season, it's wonderful to be able to enjoy it from your cabin. Back to Top How do I pay for my cruise? What are the deposit and final payment requirements? Always, always, always use a credit card to book your trip. . They're convenient, they are safe, and you get extra protection for your vacation from your credit card company. But if you must, we will accept checks and certified checks for payment. If you are booking your cruise early (outside of four months prior to travel) the cruise line typically requires a deposit ranging from $100 per person for a 3 or 4 night cruise, $200 - $250 per person for a 7 night cruise, and $300 or more for longer cruises. Your cruise must be paid in full at least 65 days prior to travel for most cruise lines (some require final payment even sooner). Your agent will discuss payment terms with regards to your particular cruise. You will get a comprehensive receipt for every payment and will receive a final payment reminder to keep you on top of your payments. If you would like to make periodic payments on your trip, you may do so provided all payments are completed prior to the final balance due date. Back to Top Can I extend my cruise vacation? We can arrange pre- or post-cruise land packages at the same time you book you cruise. These are available through the cruise line and usually include transfers or a rental car. Back to Top Do the cruise lines have Senior Citizen Rates? Family Rates? Last Minute Discounts? Most of these promotions are available in the off peak booking seasons, after right after the first of the year and between September and mid-December. Anyone can qualify for a senior rate provided one of the passengers in the cabin is 55 years old or older. Usually these rates a $50 to $100 per person lower than the normal rates. We will post Senior Rates on the Internet as they become available. Family Rates are programs that cruise lines use to fill the third and fourth berths on cruises on soft sailings. For example, the third and fourth person in a cabin may pay $499 per person on a typical seven night cruise. However, to help fill a ship, the cruise line may reduce this rate to $99 or even offer free passage to 3rds and 4ths. We will post these specials as well. Finally, Last Minute Discounts are less popular than in the past. Today, the cruise lines are trying fill the ships with better early booking discounts like Royal Caribbean's Breakthrough Rates and Carnival's SuperSavers. They can now tell about three months prior to sailing if a sailing needs help. If they do, they'll institute Past Passenger Discounts First, Senior Rates second, Regional Promotions Third, and then drop the rates if necessary. Either way, if you book early and the price comes down after putting down your deposit, the cruise line will often lower your rate to the new promotion. You're always better off booking early. Back to Top Can I book on short notice? Even the most popular cruises sometimes have space available because of late cancellations. So, have your agent check or visit this website for periodic updates. But, to get exactly the ship, cabin, and sailing date you want, you should plan and book early. Most cruise lines also offer early booking discounts for customers who plan ahead. Then, just sit back and anticipate all the fun you're going to have! Back to Top Can I book a group? Yes, we love groups! For starters, if you book 8 staterooms or more through Best Cruise Vacation, the group leader will be issued 1 FREE berth. A FREE berth is equal to one passenger’s cruise fare (minus port charges & taxes). Depending on the type of sailing and size of group, Best Cruise Vacation may be able to offer even more goodies. Back to Top | 
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